Part Of Your World
by SteveChavezLove
Summary: Newt has always wanted to be part of a family and when Dish & Jasper finally come out about their homosexual relationship they need as many friends as they can get


The wagon was stopped in the middle of a clearing and the cowboys had all begun to lay out their bedrolls to sleep later on that night, but in the meantime Po Campo had finished cooking supper and they were all lined up waiting to have their plates filled. It was just like every other ordinary night on the Hat Creek drive, except for one thing. It was quiet. Too quiet, and everyone seemed to notice it. "I God, Woodrow..." Gus finally said, breaking the deafening silence. "You'd think somebody'd jus' died er somethin'." Captain Call sighed and continued to eat his supper while sitting atop the Hell Bitch. "As I recall, Gus, somebody did just die. Or wasn't that Jake Spoon we just hung yesterday?" He replied. Gus shook his head. "Well the end of Jake Spoon don't seem like it'd cause all these boys to fall silent like they have." He said. Call didn't say anything for awhile. He'd learned after all these years that when Gus was in an arguing mood there was no stopping him. So rather than try his hand at an argument he couldn't win, he, like all the rest of the boys, fell silent.

Meanwhile, Newt, who had just gotten his plate of stew, was wandering around the camp looking for Dish, who was his usual supper time companion, but so far he was having no luck in finding him. He wandered around for a couple more minutes but still didn't see him, so he figured he might still be out with the herd. Just to be sure though, he thought he'd go ask Gus and the Captain about Dish's whereabouts. So carrying his plate with him, he walked over to where the two trail bosses sat atop their horses. Gus was getting ready to go bring Lorena her supper. Newt had caught him just in time. "Gus? Captain?" He asked as he approached the two. "Evenin' Newt." Gus greeted him. "Newt." Captain Call acknowledged him with a slight nod. "What can we do for ya, son?" Gus asked. "Oh nothin' really, Gus. I was just wonderin' when Dish was gonna be comin' in for supper." Newt said.

Call gave him a questioning look. "What're ya talkin' about, Newt? Dish ain't out with the herd. Needle and Soupy got first watch tonight." He said. Newt looked confused and worried at the same time. "Oh...Well I just figured he'd be out there...Ya know, since he ain't been to the wagon all day and all." He replied, looking down at the ground. Gus and Call looked at each other with confusion, when suddenly Pea came walking toward him, holding a hat in hand. "Any of you boys seen Jasper?" He asked. "Po Campo fixed his hat band. Wanted me to bring it to him." Gus and Call both sighed. "I God, Woodrow..." Gus said, shaking his head. "No wonder it's been so god damn quiet. Those two ain't been around to be at each other's throats every five damn minutes." Call said. "Hey! Any of you boys seen Dish or Jasper lately!?" Gus suddenly shouted to everyone at and around the wagon. They all shook their heads. Deets was the only one who looked up from eating to answer. "Dish went chasin' after a couple strays earlier this evenin', Captain." He said. "Jasper followed him. I reckon where ya find one ya find the other."

Gus sighed. "Yeah, but when we find one the other's able to be dead by the time we get to 'em." He said. "Well maybe not." Call said. "If we hurry we might be able to find 'em both before they skin each other alive. Pea, Newt, mount up. The four of us'll split up. We'll cover more ground that'a way." Pea Eye and Newt nodded and both went to get their horses. Minutes later the four rode off, each in different directions, to look for the two lost cowboys.

...

Gus took the direction east of the herd and first stopped at Lorie's tent to drop off her supper. Lorie smiled when she saw him ride up and came out of her tent to meet him. Gus smiled. "Lorie, Darlin'." He greeted her, as he swung down from the saddle then handed her a plate. "Po cooked ya some supper. I figured I'd bring it on over to ya 'for I rode off." Lorie sat the plate down by her little camp fire and looked at Gus worriedly. "Rode off?" She asked. "Where to?" Gus cupped her cheek with one hand and gently kissed it. "Don't you worry, Lorie. I ain't runnin' off again. I'll just be gone about an hour or so. Got a couple missin' cowboys we gotta find." He told her. Lorie thought for a moment, gnawing at her lip. "Is one of 'em Dish?" She asked. Gus looked a little surprised but nodded. "Yeah. He sure enough is." He confirmed. "I figured." Lorie said. "He ain't come a callin' on me for a few days. I figured at first he mighta just got busy but after the third day it just seems like he's lost all interest in me. Can't say I'm complainin' though. He was awful bothersome." She informed Gus. Gus thought for a moment. That was strange. Dish had only been gone a couple hours because Gus remembered seeing him just that morning. Yet even though he'd been around he hadn't bothered to come a courtin' to Lorie. That didn't seem like Dish at all. Something was definitely going on. Gus didn't know what, but it was definitely something. And it just so happened that Newt was just moments away from finding out what that something was.

...

Newt had been riding South for about twenty minutes when suddenly over the ridge he spotted the faint light of a dying campfire. He could hear the sound of a few stray cows bawling down there as well. That had to be them, Newt decided. Who else would be following the herd this close with a couple head of stray cattle? "Come on, Mouse." He urged his sorrel gelding as he gave him a little kick and started slowly down the ridge. He stopped in tracks once he got to where he could hear voices. It was Dish and Jasper alright, but what he heard wasn't fighting at all. Infact, it was quiet the opposite. He dismounted as quietly as he could and tied Mouse to a fallen tree limb. "Stay there, boy." He whispered to him as he snuck over to a little thicket of safe brush where he was hidden from sight but close enough that he could hear the two cowboys talking. "When are we gonna tell 'em?" Newt heard Jasper ask. "I don't know..." Dish replied. "Maybe once we get to Montana. After we're settled and everything. That way if Captain fires us for it we'll already be there and won't have to travel alone." There was a sigh. "I don't see why'd he'd fire us for it. It ain't like it's our fault." Jasper said. "I know..." Dish's voice whispered, tenderly. There was suddenly a noise that sounded like a kiss and Newt's eyes widened. He prayed to God he wasn't hearing what he thought he was right now.

"Listen, Darlin'..." Dish's voice came again after a few seconds. "Even if the Captain does fire us when he finds out, I can take care of you. I've got plenty of money saved up from other jobs I've had. I'll build us a sturdy house and maybe we can sign on with some other ranch after we're all settled. Then in a couple years we'll have us a mess of little ones runnin' around." Newt peeked out from the safe brush, to confirm what he was hearing was the truth. Jasper sighed. "Ain't it a little early to be talkin' about kids, Dish?" He asked. "I reckon now's as good a time as any." Dish replied, holding Jasper close to him. From what Newt could see now they were both naked and snuggled up together beneath a bed roll and blanket, using Dish's saddle as a pillow. "Well...I guess your right..." Jasper said, a little timidly. Dish kissed his forehead. "Don't worry. Mama always told me childbirth ain't as bad as it's made out to be." He assured Jasper, cuddling him as he did so and peppering kisses down his neck. Jasper grinned and chuckled a little. "Dish that tickles." He said. Dish grinned before pulling away then coming right back in and kissing his mouth.

Jasper kissed back with passion. Newt was at loss for words. He'd never witnessed anything like this in his life, and it only made it more shocking to know that just a few days ago Jasper and Dish had hated each other to no end. Now here they were talking about settling down and having kids and kissing each other and everything else! Newt couldn't believe it. "I love you..." Dish whispered to Jasper. "I love you too." Jasper whispered back, before they kissed again. Newt watched, his eyes so wide they looked as if they might fall right out of his head. What he saw next, though it seemed impossible, would shock him even more. Dish gently laid Jasper down beneath him, and as they continued to kiss he positioned himself above him. As they began to make love right in front of him, Newt felt like throwing up and as he tried to keep himself from gagging he lost his footing and fell forward through the safe brush. He landed on his back with a this in the dirt, which alerted Dish and Jasper. Dish rolled off of him and covered himself with the blanket. "What the hell!?" He yelped in shock. "Oh God! It's Newt!" Jasper exclaimed. Dish looked horrified. "Newt!?" He shouted. Newt got up quickly and bolted. Dish hurriedly pulled his pants back on and rushed after him while Jasper staid back at their little camp, blushing bright red with shame and embarrassment.

Newt didn't get far before Dish got a hold of him and pulled him back. "Let me go!" Newt demanded, squirming and kicking until he had pulled Dish to the ground in his fit. "Dammit, Newt! Knock it off!" Dish snapped, still hanging onto the boy. Newt just kept struggling. "Let go of me you queer!" He shouted, crying in grief as he realized this meant that he could no longer hang around Dish if the Captain found out. Dish got angry at the queer comment and pinned Newt to the ground. "Don't you call me that again! Not ever again! Ya hear me boy!" He yelled. Newt glared at him with red puffy eyes pussy. "You touched another man! Now we can't be friends anymore!" He choked out. "What the hell do you mean Newt? I'm still your friend." Dish asked, confused. "Are you a god damn fool! Captain Call ain't gonna let me pal around with no queer boy!" Newt bawled. Dish growled. "Now listen here, Newton William Dobbs! I ain't no queer!" He snapped. "I ain't ever even looked at another man aside from Jasper." Poor Newt wiped his teary eyes and looked up at Dish. "Well then why'd ya look twice at him anyway?" He asked. "I thought you hated him." Dish sighed and let go of Newt before sitting down on a stump next to the kid. "There's a thin line between love and hate, Newt." He said. "A very thin line...and I don't know, Jasper and I just connected after awhile. In fact I think we connected a long time ago and just didn't know it."

Newt sat up slowly. "But...How could ya love another man like a woman?" He asked Dish. "It just don't seem possible." Dish sighed. "Well love ain't just about pokin', Newt. Although that part ain't bad." Dish said. Newt looked grossed out at that comment. Dish sighed. "Look, Newt, I know ya probably ain't gonna understand it but Jasper and I love each other very very much. And soon as we get up to Montana me and him are gonna get married, build a little cabin and start a family together." He told Newt. The boy didn't say anything for awhile, but when he finally did he looked really sad. "Don't tell the Captain that, okay?" He asked, hopefully. "I don't want him to fire ya." Dish sighed and placed a hand on the kid's shoulder. "Newt I can't promise that. We'll have to tell everyone eventually. But I will promise that I won't do it till we get to Montana." He told Newt. Newt just sighed and nodded. "Okay..." He agreed, though he still looked sad and now he seemed as though he was contemplating something. "What's the matter?" Dish asked. Newt looked down at the ground. "Ain't never been part of a family before." Newt said, low, still looking down at the floor. Dish grinned. "Well when Jasper and me have kids how would you like to be their Uncle Newt?" Dish asked him. The boy looked up. "Really?" He asked. "Sure. You are like my little brother after all." Dish said, ruffling his hair. Newt smiled. "Thank ya, Dish." He said, the gratitude clear in his voice.

Dish stood up and helped Newt to his feet as well. "No problem, Bud." He replied. "Dish! Where are you?" Jasper's voice came from the little campsite. Dish looked over his shoulder then back at Newt. "Now if you'll excuse me for just a minute, Newt, I've still got some business I need to attend to." He said. Newt nodded. "If it's alright with you, I'll wait here for ya." He said. "I promised Captain I'd bring ya both back if I found ya." Dish nodded then rushed back to where Jasper was waiting for him. Newt watched him go and managed a slight grin. This was all sort of new to him, and he didn't quite get the concept of how two men could love each other like a man and a woman did but he didn't really think it mattered if he understood. He was gonna be a part of a family, and for that he was grateful, no matter what the circumstances were.

...

When the herd had finally reached Montana, Dish and Jasper had to come clean about their relationship. Mainly because Jasper's growing mid section was starting to arouse questions in everyone and it wasn't like they could hide his condition forever. The Captain had been outraged and disgusted, but he hadn't fired them. Gus wouldn't allow it. As usual, Gus was the one of the two bosses who was understanding and accepting. He might have still been a bit repulsed but he never let it show around either of them. After awhile though everyone came to accept their love for each other and it was then that Dish and Jasper decided to announce the impending birth of their first child. It had turned out that Jasper had been pregnant ever since they'd hung Jake Spoon so at this point he was eight months along and almost ready to pop. Before the baby got there the happy couple traveled to Miles City and were married by the local preacher then when they returned to the new ranch Dish and Newt hurried to get a house built for them so that they could have their privacy and so the baby would have a home away from all the rest of the Hat Creek Outfit. The ranch hands were good men but the main house was no place for a baby to be growing up. Dish and Newt ended up finishing the house just in time, for a day after they moved in Jasper's water broke. Newt and Dish helped him deliver after twelve hours of labor and another half hour of pushing, he gave birth to a perfect, healthy baby girl whom they named Nicole Marie Boggett.

The baby was seven pounds and two ounces, but according to Jasper she felt a lot bigger than that during the delivery, especially her head. They'd all had a laugh at that comment. The baby was beautiful. She looked mostly like Dish in the face, and had a thick head of dark hair just like his, but she had Jasper's soft blue eyes and his nose. Dish was definitely a proud daddy. He spent the rest of that night showing baby Nicole off to everyone and cooing over her constantly, always stating out loud how beautiful she was. Jasper was equally proud of her, and to everyone's surprise he was a very affectionate and caring mama. He loved that baby girl completely. There were no questions on that. Newt, it seemed, was just as excited as Nicole's proud parents. He loved holding the baby and dressing her and bottle feeding her and just everything else! Another thing he was ecstatic about was that Dish and Jasper had named him the godfather of baby Nicole. That was an honor that nothing would be able to top as far as Newt was concerned. He almost couldn't believe how far he and his new family had come over the past year, but one thing was for sure. He loved all three of them to pieces and he wouldn't have changed a single thing for the world.

THE END :)


End file.
